View full sizeJosh Cribbs lost this fumble in the fourth quarter, then lost his temper after the conclusion of the Browns' loss in Denver. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

DENVER -- Scribbles in the aftermath of Sunday's thumping by the Broncos.

1. Something happened to the Browns after they had a 14-10 lead at halftime of last week's Washington game. They were outscored, 28-7, in the second half, and then absorbed Sunday's beating. They have been outscored 62-19 in the last six quarters. It has been a total collapse, as the Browns have lost all confidence and sense of purpose built during their three-game winning streak.

2. So now they go to Pittsburgh with a 5-10 record. Brandon Weeden has a shoulder injury, and it's doubtful he'll play. Trent Richardson's left foot was in a walking boot Sunday night. Joe Haden is the only starter in secondary who started when the season opened. Players are angry, discouraged and there is a real sense of gloom -- and it began in the Washington game.

3. This 22-point defeat was the worst in Pat Shurmur's two seasons. With all the speculation of changes coming, there is a sense many players just want the season to be over. They won't say it. But at 5-10, with key starters injured, others physically and emotionally worn down -- they just want the year to be over.

4. I wish some players would think about who pays their salaries -- the fans. Josh Cribbs has been very good to the community since joining the Browns in 2005. But he's frustrated and spending too much time reading responses on Twitter. He Tweeted this: "I see all the negativity on twitter after I gave my life to this [crap]. So 2 all u who are against me [Bleep] all y'all! I'm still gonna do me!"

5. Message to Cribbs: When you Tweet something like that, then you also need to hear that the fans didn't fumble a punt early in the fourth quarter to set up a Denver touchdown.

6. Cribbs has fumbled five times on kickoffs and punts this season, losing two. No doubt he's upset because his contract is up and it appears Travis Benjamin will be the returner in 2013. But that's still no excuse. Cribbs has to know many of his Twitter followers are kids. To Cribbs' credit, he did delete the tweet.

7. I have always liked Cribbs, dating back to when he was a freshman QB at Kent State. He's emotional and can say some very silly stuff. But I've always thought he's one of the good guys among the pro athletes in town.

8. Colt McCoy played relatively well in his first meaningful action. He had appeared in other games, but just to hand off the ball. McCoy entered Sunday late in the third quarter. He put together a nice 80-yard drive, ending with a six-yard touchdown pass to Greg Little.

9. McCoy was 9-of-17 for 79 yards, and was sacked four times. The coaches say he has been very professional after losing a starting job for the first time at any level. McCoy is not the most physically-gifted quarterback, but he's a class act and that's why I advocated so hard for the Browns to keep him. He is always prepared to play.

10. Trent Richardson ran the ball well (53 yards in nine carries), but the Browns once again fell behind and kept throwing. Richardson has 950 yards rushing, the most of any Browns rookie. The previous record was 942 by Jim Brown. But Brown did it in 12 games, while Richardson has played 15. So let's not start any comparisons.

11. The most improved Brown from a year ago is Little, who caught six more passes. He has 50 receptions and is dropping fewer balls, running better routes and continuing his excellent blocking.

12. Former Brown Mike Adams signed a two-year, $4 million deal with Denver before the season. The 31-year-old safety has played 91 percent of the snaps here. The Browns didn't offer him a chance to return. "I didn't want to sugarcoat it," he said Sunday. "I'd been there for five years, so to go against these guys and get a win was really special." He had four tackles, defended two passes and recorded a quarterback hit.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.